Continuing on

Law school of USP

Continuing from where I had left of...

So, as I'd mentioned in my last post. This is the university of São Paulo in Butantã. It's supposed to be one of the best public universities in Sao Paulo. Unlike other countries, public schools are supposed to be better than the private ones. But, they only allow the super rich or super intelligent to study there. I went to the campus a few times and I tell you. It's bloody huge! I went for a Thursday evening 'party', when I say party, that's what I was told. It's basically everyone just having an excuse both students and teachers to smoke weed, eat some barbecue and drink shit loads.

USP Campus

 Well saying this, I had forgotten to mention that whilst I was living in the house of fucking idiots, shortly before moving there I was experiencing stress. As I'd been moving around all the time, within a short space of time. I had become unsettled and hence my hair was falling out. I had a great big golf ball of a hole on my head. I went to the dermatologist in order to get a diagnosis. She said that I had 'alopecia areta'. Basically balding in women. She asked me whether it was hereditory, to which I answered no. Therefore she said it was down to stress.
This being said, it did take a while til I visited the dermatologist. Had to be dragged there by the fella. Let me advise you that getting any sort of medical care here is FUCKING EXPENSIVE. R$220 for a bloody consultation. This is for a so-called 1 hour consultation. We ended up waiting 30mins into our allocated time and the dermatologist only spent 10 minutes with us. She shook my hair, and it was snowing like a snow globe. Then she wrote out two prescriptions; one for the pharmacy and one for the manipulation pharmacy. At the pharmacy I had to get a drug called prednison. It's a type of anti-depressant. So it knows the nervous system. Then I had to get this solution from the farmacia do manipulacao. Manipulation as we say in English, cos the price is a rip-off! R$60 for the prednison and R$45 for the bloody solution.

Vinho quente

When my hair starting to fall out and my bald spot was showing, I went straight to the Chinese hair salon in Liberdade. I'm now known as the Chinese girl with the bald spot. Bloody hell. My centre parting of my hair, had to be changed to a side parting, to disguise the bald spot plus I had to wear headbands and hair clips to cover the spot. Well now my hair is fine, but I have sworn since that time that I shan't get stressed again.

Corinthians currency

typical caipira clothes

Moving on during June there is a holiday called 'festa junina'. It's where everyone has the excuse of wearing chequered shirts, cowboy hats, boots, carry a woven basket around and drink fruit wine known as 'vinho quente'. I celebrated last year at Parque São Jorge. Home of Corinthians leisure centre. It was pretty cool when we went. They had a few food stores; consisting of Italian food, Japanese, Brazilian BBQ and of course alcohol. The fella staying true to his roots got a lasagna. He kept boasting about how nice it was. Yadda yadda. To me it's just pasta. Just like how we orientals have noodles. Same shit, different name.

Now speaking of Corinthians. In September, they celebrated 102 years as a club. So it was down to Parque Soa Jorge for the festivities. I took a few photos of the parade and had a look around.

 They have a huge academy, with an assortment of sporting events ranging from: archery, swimming team, aquatics, martial arts, American football, cheerleading etc.
Anderson Silva the famous undefeated UFC fighter has an academy there too. He is a huge supporter of Corinthian's and when he fights always wears a Corinthian's footy shirt. This guy is everywhere, every where I go he's advertising Wizard language school. He's Casa's Bahia, a home department store. He's also advertising cars. He's basically a seen as a legend here. His alias is 'the spider', arranha.

American football team: The Steam rollers

 I had a good time at this special event marking the birthday of Corinthian's. At the same time I got to look into at first-hand what my fella does at his other 'job'.
Web radio station, Radio Coringão. He doesn't work there as a commentator, as you'd imagine. He's the tecnician guy there. Making sure that the microphone is working, the cables are correct, the quality of sound is pitch person. yadda yadda. Mind you, even though he's there on a voluntary basis, he bloody loves it. It's through this that he's been able to get free tickets to some pretty good footy games and go behind the scenes, back stage and meet a few of the players. I am bloody jealous, but he's the man with the contacts.

Taça libertadores

Maybe it's because he's part Italian. The mafia side that can get anything... for a price. Just like the prohibition during the war in the States when the mafia was running the streets.

Not being biased at all, but I've tuned in to this radio station before and it's pretty good. They have those commentators that go: ''GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL''. The one's who break the sound scale. Giving you an earache at the same time and in some cases breaking your ear drums.
But please feel free to check it out at: www.radiocoringao.com.br

No, I don't get anything for name dropping. But it's all for a good cause.
I visited the Corinthians museum and to your left you see the trophy of the Libertadores, won the league 2011-2012. Saying that I've told the fella on numergous occasions that since I became a Corintiana, Corinthians have won; the league, South American championship, world championship (in Japan) and most recently Campeão Paulista against those smelly fishes Santos FC.
Saying that I've been regularly attending Corinthians games and am now an official member. I'm a Corintiana! As you would say, so becareful cos I'm a member of the band of crazies. Ready to cause havoc, have bbq's on buses, wreck airports, drink caipirinhas on the street, make bbq's from the boot of a car. Why you may ask? Because Corinthian's is the people's club. What's more, the club was originally founded in England back in 1892 when they were simply known as The Corinthian Football club, but later they merged with Casuals Fc back in 1939 and are now formerly known as Corinthian Casual's today.
The Corinthian's team who everyone knows and ever popular is Sport Club Corinthian's Paulista (SCCP), which was founded in 1910 by 5 railworkers who loved the performance of the London based team Corinthian's Fc and decided to bring that wonderful of game called football over to here.

Almost a year hath passed...

Right, so I've just checked that my last post was back in July of last year.
A lot has happened since then, so please bear in mind that my recollection of events maybe some what scattered and hazy in some areas. So let's do it in blocks, commencing July til October.

Well, I had moved to Zona Leste a.k.a Zona Lost. When you take the metro from Down Town towards the east zone, you realise why... because it feels like bloody eternity before you arrive at any station on that line. Unbelievable! I swear I never saw ONE oriental person on the red line going towards east. I must've been the only moronic oriental. A friend of mine had offered me a place to stay for a month til I moved to another room. It's in Artur Alvim. Til this day, I still can't bloody pronounce it correct, It must be my oriental 'R's'.

Brazilian bbq

Home made cheese bread

Well I whilst crashing there, I was staying with a couple and their dog. Now, little did I know that as hosts Brazilian's are only hospitable towards for the first few days, then afterwards they go cold turkey. So I had to feel the wrath of the wife, whilst the husband was away on business. She pissed me right off! Telling me that in Brazil, when working I had to take more time over my grooming and the way I dressed. I wanted to slap her in the face with a huge fish. So I had to go all out in terms of my hair, make-up and my clothes. She even commented on my nails. Asking me questions like why don't I get a manicure. I wanted to reply 'why don't you shut up? You stupid cow!'. Shit like this to me, isn't necessary. So long as I look professional, clean-cut and do my job well. Who gives a fuck if I don't wear high heels! I don't want to hobble down the street or hold up a queue behind me when going up and down stairs, clunking away in heels.

showing off my R$30 manicure

We never argued, but I felt there was an air of hostility within the place. How she approached me to say these things annoyed me. But I thought, who gives a shit about her. She's a secretary, not the chief of being a beauty pageant. (not that i'd take beauty secrets from her anyway, the chunky monkey).

Moving on, well towards the end of the stay I managed to find a room towards the opposite direction of the metro line in Butantã.

Home of the snakes and the university of São Paulo, USP. Now upon going there, I thought to myself. Hmm this place looks cool. Peaceful, good neighbourhood, clean and a total difference to lost zone. But tons of students. I moved into a shared house. Which they call a republica. Little did I know that this place would be known as the 'house of fucking idiots'.

At the beginning it was ok. Responsible adults who predominently worked. About a 1/3 of the house were students. Everyone was Brazilian, so I was the only gringa. A couple of gringoes joined the house later, a Korean & Peruvian.
Back when I went to university, I never went to the parties or hung around the student campuses. So this was the first time I'd experienced true uni life. I tell you, everyday people were drinking cans of beers, by the shit load. Drinking it like water! Every other week there was a bbq here. Now Brazilian bbq's are much different to the western bbq's that I'm accustomed with. Here, they have chicken hearts. (which are puny), cuts of meat, garlic bread, chicken wings and linguiça (sausage). They just love bbq's here. The meat here is cut and divided into small pieces for everyone. They love sharing here.

Fastforward a couple of months, to when I was leaving. So there were Brazilian's in the republica from the north-east Pernambuco, Ceara, Bahia, Minas and one girl from outer Rio. I found after my 4 months there that Brazilian's can't be trusted. They are huge perverts. They drink too much. Spend too much time watching soap operas. Love eating rice & beans and roast meats. Adore bbq's and unreliable. ONLY according to what I experienced whilst living there. Not all are like this, but this bunch were.

Rong He massa

Whilst at that shit hole, I did manage to go escape a see a little of Down Town better. I went to Liberdade to mingle with my so-called family members. I visited the Chinese restaurants there & sampled the cuisines. There are two good Chinese restaurants there called Rong He massa. Specialising in fresh Chinese noodles made live. With the chef wearing the huge white hat and throwing the noodles around. They are the only restaurant that does 'dim sum', but it looks horrible. Like a child made it. As you can see from the photos, top left horrible siu mi, deep fried chicken, Yakisobba & Chinese greens with oyster sauce.

I went here with the fella about a month ago and waited an hour before getting a table. Fella said I ate like a horse... well not surprising after a 45min wait & back ache.

Chi Fu

 The other restaurant is next to Liberdade metro station, called Chi Fu. They have the traditional red & gold decor, staff wearing the traditional dynasty Chinese attire, circular tables AND traditional rude Chinese staff. I tell you, when they realise you're Chinese as well, you get service with a smile and they are much nicer to you. That's why each time I go there with my Asian gang, I always order the food in Chinese.

Food left-to right: Yakissoba, mussels in ginger & spring onion, greens with Chinese sausage, fried king prawns in spring onion, Cantonese roast duck and finally deep fried milk.

Yakissoba is better at Rong He, but Chi Fu have a better range of roasted meats & traditional dishes.

Ok, now that I've finished being a food critic. This chapter is finished for now... tbc